Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia. It may be due to impaired insulin secretion, resistance to peripheral actions of insulin, or both. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), approximately 415 million adults between the ages of 20 to 79 years had diabetes mellitus in 2015. DM is proving to be a global public health burden as this number is expected to rise to another 200 million by 2040. Chronic hyperglycemia in synergy with the other metabolic aberrations in patients with diabetes mellitus can cause damage to various organ systems, leading to the development of disabling and life-threatening health complications, most prominent of which are microvascular (retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy) and macrovascular complications leading to a 2-fold to 4-fold increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we provide an overview of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, clinical presentation, and principles of management of diabetes.
Copyright © 2024, StatPearls Publishing LLC.